Sunday Roast

Many North Americans make the mistake of thinking they will hit a pub and get a roast dinner at 5 or 6 in the afternoon, which is when North Americans will have theirs, only to find that meal service has been stopped hours ago.

The name "Sunday Roast" arose in the 20th century. Meat would be left in the oven to roast while people were at church, so that it was ready to eat at lunch time when they got home.

Horseradish sauce will usually be present if the meat is beef; mint sauce if the meat is lamb. Red currant jelly, bread sauce and / or English mustard may also appear.

Many people like to make Yorkshires even if they aren't having beef.

Cooking Tips

In making a roast dinner, timing is critical, especially if you only have one oven -- and there is far more prep work than may be apparent in the meal.

Nutrition

Sunday Roast -- BeefDenzil Green

A 2010 survey of commercially-prepared Roast Dinners in the UK, assembled from supermarket ready-meal chiller cabinets or eaten in pubs, found that a typical meal can have in it 150% of the maximum daily salt recommended for an adult, even before you reach for the salt shaker. The survey was done by CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health.) [1]

Sources

[1] Jamieson, Alastair. Salty Sunday roast dinners are putting Britons at risk of premature death: High levels of salt in Sunday roasts are putting Britons at risk of deadly heart disease and strokes, according to a study by health campaigners. London: Daily Telegraph. 5 December 2010.